Dedee
I found a chore system that looks very interesting yesterday. My neighbor is using it and loves it. It's called Accountable Kids and it's very structured. It's similar to something that Brad and I have been talking about for a while, but theirs is better thought out. So I am going to go purchase all of the trappings today and Brad and I are going to study the book together and then, come Sunday or Monday, we are going to start it. Because, quite frankly, chores here are a mess right now.

- - -

It's amazing to me (and some of you may have seen the first part of this already) how many barriers laughter can break.

We've been a bit. . .off. . .here at our house lately. Zero communication, lots of anger and stress. On Monday, over dinner, we started laughing as a family. Silliness abounded. I mean, I could tell you all of the jokes, but they wouldn't be the same. How do you describe the hilarity having a "who can digest their food the fastest" contest (proposed by Faramir, I'll have you know) and watching your 6 your old go bright red in the face he's pushing so hard.

Tears, people. Tears.

My stomach was killing. I could barely breathe. Tears were streaming down my face.

This inane hilarity went on for about an hour or an hour and a half.

Apparently this was our pressure release valve. The problems aren't solved. There are definitely still some issues (see the note above for one) that need to be worked on, but all of a sudden, we are all friends again. People who were separated by a distance were drawn close together. Mountainous faults that were offending every moment were suddenly put back in their proper perspective as the pebbles that most of them really are. Bedtime was easy that night with the kids. And the world righted itself.

Gotta love those endorphins.

- - -

Finished two books yesterday and started a third. It's been a whole week or two since I've done that.

Probably the last time I went to the library, actually.

I had a rather substantial fine at the library when I went yesterday. $11.00 =a lot of books extremely over due.

I actually went in to just pick up one book. I've had The Help on hold for a long time now and it finally came my turn so I went in to pick it up.

I, of course, came out with 6 books. The Help, followed by The Host, two Tamora Pierce books (I'm middlin on hers in general--but I like it when people use the elements as a basis [hence my love for J Scott Savage's Farworld series] and this series of hers is based on them) and two more in The Wheel of Time series. For the longest time my library has been missing number 6. So I was stuck. But I checked yesterday and they finally had it (a brand new copy) so I grabbed it and number 7. Yippeee! I finally get to find out how this ends. . .in three years or so when Brandon Sanderson gets done.

I read the Tamora Pierce books yesterday. They are easy reads and I was feeling a bit lazy. I started WoT #7.

That one's going to take a while.

- - -

Seth is having to do some major catch-up on homework. Our school instituted a web page where the parents can have access--at least for the older kids--to their grades, right down to every assignment and how well they did on it. I didn't realize that Seth was doing as badly as he is in math. We are working through every one of those assignments again. He also has to re-do a spelling test, a whole science packet that he was missing, and two book reports. All by tomorrow. We've made a lot of progress, but he still has quite a bit to do tonight to get it all finished.

One of the unexpected bonuses is that Faramir has been taking the time to do math with Seth. They have fun. Seth works hard (instead of getting easily sidetracked when I'm in charge) and Seth is learning a ton. I can already see the improvement.

Hopefully we won't have to do this next semester though.

- - -

That's all for now, I suppose. I have errands to run today. See, I went to the store yesterday and did my bank run and then went to buy my watch batteries and realized that not all watch batteries are created equal. And then I realized that I couldn't go to the other bank because I had forgotten my account number. And then I realized that I didn't dare go to the post office because I wasn't sure I had my little sister's most recent address (not that she's moved recently, just that my address list is old). So, I went back home, talked to my mom, tore apart my watches to see what size of batteries I needed, grabbed everything else I needed and then wandered out again. I went to the bank and got that taken care of. Then I, instead of going to the post office first, which would have been the smart thing, went to the library. The beautiful library with some many books just calling my name and inviting me to tickle my fingers through their pages and tickle my brain through their words.

Yeah. See, that was a mistake, wasn't it? Not only did I get more books than I really needed, I ended up not having time to go through the line at the post office to send off my little sister's package.

So, I have to still go back to the store and get my watch batteries and go to the post office this morning. And I have to buy Oreos. I wish my free coupon/package had come. (If you haven't seen the DSRL commercials, they are hilarious!) (They make more sense if you watch them all in order, but I thought this last one with Trump and Double Trump was brilliant.)

See, we are Super Bowl fans at our house. We always go to my cousin's house and have a big party, and Faramir, being the genius of epic proportions that he is, always comes up with some amazing, team colored, dessert. I don't love our colors to work with this year. Blue and white and black and gold, but I found a recipe for Oreo truffles with white chocolate on top that I'm thinking we can work with.

However, knowing Faramir, he'll come up with some insanely brilliant idea on Saturday night and we will be up until midnight or later cooking up some concoction.

- - -

Happy days to you!
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12 Responses
  1. I love posts like this one. It's like a great big dose of YOU. Makes me miss you though...so there's a bit of bitter mixed in with the sweet.

    I suddenly can't wait till our library is rebuilt so I can follow your crazy example. =P

    And I'm glad for the easing of tensions. For some time for you to laugh and live and be.


  2. Oh, I'm glad things are looking brighter. What could be better than a big pile of library books? And I'll want to know how the Oreo truffles turn out.


  3. Emily Says:

    Oh, can't wait to hear how the system works for you! Keep me posted! I hope it's as good for you, as it has been for us!


  4. * Says:

    I completely agree w/Kim in her comment. This is a sweet post that shares a healthy dose of *you* and I enjoyed reading it.

    PS: However cliche it sounds, a dose of laughter truly is the best medicine around.

    Last night, while tucking our 4 little ones into bed, I started a "Good news minute" -- we each had 1 minute to share something special/amazing that happened. We ended up in a fit of giggles, especially over the silly gibberish our baby (2 yrs old) shared. It was a great way to end one very long day.


  5. Anonymous Says:

    I love laughter moments like that one. I remember when I was first married and we lived at home with my parents for a while, things got really tense for a while. Then there was this AWFUL Thanksgiving where everything was going wrong. My little brother just started cracking jokes out of the blue and I seriously remember that as the funniest hour of my entire life. Somehow, life was more bearable after that.

    As for the library, oh happy day! I'm fine to put off the post office for the library any day. Probably why my sisters overseas stopped asking me to send things!


  6. Good luck with the accountable kids(we have had friends who use and love this system). You also might want to check out the chore boards that Jeanette Fischer does. It's something that Uncle Rey did with them and now she sells them. They looked pretty cool when I checked them out awhile ago.

    My problem with all of these is space. I just can't figure out where to put one more thing on a wall. :) (Too many of my mothers paintings up I suppose!)

    Word Verification: anest - as in Spring is coming and I see the bird building anest. :) PLEASE!


  7. Kazzy Says:

    I am a Super Bowl fan too, even when I watch zero regular season games. SO fun!

    And I agree with you on the laughter as medicine idea. Man, I could use some of that right now!


  8. EEEEMommy Says:

    Family laughter like that is priceless!!


  9. I need to learn to laugh more with my family and how to be silly with them. Lately I just have been feeling a lot of stress and that is showing through in my not-so-nice mommy moments that are happening way too regularly.

    Library books always make me happy :) !!

    Let us know how you like this new chore chart!


  10. Anonymous Says:
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  11. Heidi Says:

    I went to the library for the first time in a long time. Like, since before my book came out. I think I was afraid to go and see it staring me in the face, un-checked-out. Yesterday, however, I brought my camera, thinking it would be fun to see it on a library shelf, but it wasn't there. I checked the catalog and 11 copies of it in our system have been checked out 119 times in the past 12 months. That is a pretty cool feeling! Anyway, sorry to talk about me. Your post made me feel like we were chatting. Love you!


  12. I very much identify with #3 and #8.

    I am very glad to meet you again, Eowyn. I had no idea the circumstances had changed, but I am quite glad to have found you again!